Players say Gagne a welcome addition

VOORHEES -- Reaction to the return of Simon Gagne was all positive in the Flyers locker room at the Wednesday morning skate.

And why not? Even if Gagne is no longer the offensive threat he once was, he brings intangibles like leadership and strong positional play.

Plus, he still has the speed to be an effective penalty killer, something the Flyers can use now that Matt Read (rib injury) is sidelined for at least another month.

“He’s played in big games and that’s something that you can never have enough of,’’ said Danny Briere, one of nine current Flyers who played alongside Gagne during his first tour of duty from 1999 to 2010.

Gagne was excused from the morning skate in order to catch up on some sleep. He took an overnight flight from Los Angeles (he was acquired in a trade with the Kings on Tuesday) to get here in time for Wednesday night’s game against Washington.

“When I came here (in 2007) he was the leader,’’ Briere said. “It was his team. Having a chance to have him back ... he’s one of those guys that everybody loves. The new guys who don’t know him will be impressed with his personality, I think.’’

To make room for Gagne on the roster, Mike Knuble was a healthy scratch against the Caps.

Another veteran, Ruslan Fedotenko, was in the Flyers' organization when Gagne was on the rise in the early 2000s.

“He’s been a big part of this organization, he’s had some 40-goal years,’’ Fedotenko said. “I think it will be good for him to come back and see if he can help us. He’s quick, he’s fast. I think he can do the penalty killing.’’

Coach Peter Laviolette saw what Gagne could do in the 2010 playoffs. It was Gagne who scored the game-winner in Game 7 to complete the epic four-game comeback against the Boston Bruins.

“He gives us a lot of different options on how to use him,’’ Laviolette said. “He’s a smart defensive player, proven goal-scorer, can kill penalties. I think he brings a lot to the table, along with some experience.’’

The other Flyers who were here for Gagne's first tour of duty: Brian Boucher, Michael Leighton, Knuble, Braydon Coburn, Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux.

Read skates, but that’s it

Read skated for the first time Wednesday morning but says that’s about all he can do. The rib injury is just too painful to do any sort of hockey drill work.

It’s frustrating for the second-year player because he was off to such a fast start.

“It’s pretty painful,’’ he said. “I guess it could be a lot worse. I can skate but I can’t do anything else. It’s frustrating. There was a lot of pain out there today.

“It’s part of the game, injuries are part of the game. Take it with a grain of salt. When you come back, be ready to play at a hundred percent.’’

Read said he doesn’t know if he will need any surgery in the future.

“I hope it’s shorter (than six weeks) but I have no clue,’’ he said.

For now, all they can do for it is ice, massage and rest.

Ilya 'Skywalker'

Ilya Bryzgalov, who visited the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Center in Russia last summer, had his mask repainted in Star Wars motif. He unveiled it during Wednesday night’s game against the Caps.

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